Fed Tide May/June 2015 the Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
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Fed Tide May/June 2015 The Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Federal Bar Association PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Mark Warmbier, Kaufman & Canoles P.C. Immediate Past- President Welcome to the Spring 2015 edition of the Fed Tide! It is hard to believe that we Larry Dash are already approaching the halfway mark of 2015. Since the publication of our last 4th Circuit CJA Attorney newsletter, there has been much activity within our Chapter. On November 18, 2014, we kicked off the new fiscal year with our Annual Meeting at the Town Point Club, President where attendees received a “state of the law schools” report from our special guest, Mark Warmbier Dean Davison Douglas of William & Mary Law School. Then, we started off the new Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. calendar year with a new Chapter name. As most of you are aware, we officially changed our name in January 2015 to the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Federal Bar President Elect Association. Also in January, our Chapter sponsored the Introduction to Federal Erin Ashcroft Practice Seminar and Admission Ceremony at the Norfolk federal courthouse. STIHL Inc. Following an afternoon of insightful presentations from our local judges, federal practitioners, and court staff, 33 attorneys were admitted to practice before the Vice President Eastern District of Virginia. In March, Judge Raymond Jackson treated luncheon Susan Blackman attendees to a well-received presentation regarding local counsel issues. Willcox & Savage The second half of 2015 is shaping up to be just as exciting. Judge Roger Gregory of the Fourth Circuit will serve as the special guest speaker at our June 3 luncheon Treasurer meeting. On July 16, our Chapter will sponsor its annual Introduction to Federal John Gardner Practice Seminar at the Norfolk federal courthouse for our local summer associates Gardner & Mendoza, PC and interns. A retirement event is in the works for Magistrate Judge Tommy Miller on August 14. On November 19th, we will join forces with the Historical Society for the Secretary United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to co-sponsor a panel Robert Stenzhorn discussion on the legacy of Judge Walter Hoffman. To wrap up our fiscal year, we are Schempf & Ware, PLLC finalizing details with Judge Steven Agee of the Fourth Circuit to serve as our special guest speaker for our Annual Meeting in the Fall. Please keep these dates on your Membership Chair radar and stay tuned for additional details. Lauren Tallent Rogers I cannot sign off without a huge thank you to Lauren Tallent Rogers and Katie Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. Dougherty for their outstanding work on our Chapter newsletters. Also, thank you to Chief Judge Smith for her participation in this edition’s “Insights from the Bench.” Newsletter Editors Despite hectic schedules and constant demands, we are fortunate to have dedicated Katie Dougherty members, judges, and court personnel who continually find the time to support our Assistant U.S. Attorney Chapter. These contributions are very much appreciated. - Mark Lauren Tallent Rogers Inside This Edition of the FedTide: Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. • Insights from The Bench – A Q&A With Chief Judge Rebecca Beach Smith • Updates and Notices from the EDVA Clerk’s Office • A look at the Recent Changes to the EDVA Local Rules • 2014 Statistics from the Federal Judiciary on the “Rocket Docket” • Noteworthy Fourth Circuit Cases • Upcoming Chapter events– including the Chapter’s June 3rd Luncheon featuring Judge Roger L. Gregory of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Annual Chapter Luncheon - November 2014 On November 18, 2014, Dean Davison M. Douglas from William & Mary Law School spoke at the Hampton Roads Chapter’s Annual Meeting at the Town Point Club and offered an optimistic presentation on the “state of law schools” in 2014. In addition, the Chapter’s board members for the 2014-2015 calendar year were sworn into their new positions by the Honorable Chief Judge Smith. Chief Judge Rebecca Beach Smith swears in the new slate of FBA board members. From right: Chapter President Mark Warmbier, President Elect Erin Ashcroft, Vice President Susan Blackman, Treasurer John Gardner and Membership Chair Lauren Tallent Rogers Dean Douglas from William & Mary Law School addressing the Hampton Roads Chapter . Introduction to Federal Practice Twice each year, the Hampton Roads Chapter hosts an Introduction to Federal Practice Seminar at the Norfolk courthouse. After being welcomed by one of the District Judges, attendees hear from a United States Magistrate Judge, representatives from the Clerk’s Office, United States Probation Office, the Office of the Federal Public Defender, the United States Attorney’s Office, the courthouse librarian, and other courthouse personnel. In January, the seminar is designed to familiarize lawyers newly-admitted to the Virginia State Bar to federal practice in Hampton Roads. At the conclusion of the day, the attorneys are invited to participate in a group admission ceremony, all being admitted to practice in the Eastern District of Virginia. In July, the seminar is tailored to law students who are interning, clerking, or otherwise working in the legal profession during their summer recess. This January’s Introduction to Federal Practice Seminar was well-attended with 33 new attorneys being admitted to practice in the Eastern District of Virginia! The summer session of the Introduction to Federal Practice seminar is currently scheduled for July 16, 2015. A reception will take place following the seminar. Please save the date and encourage any law students or attorneys new to federal practice to attend. Further details regarding registration to follow soon. Judge Roger L. Gregory, Circuit Judge United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit See attached flyer for further details and registration information Though the RSVP deadline was May 27, contact [email protected] regarding late registration by May 29, 2015 The Honorable Raymond A. Jackson Speaks to Chapter On March 5, 2015, the Hampton Roads Chapter hosted an informal luncheon featuring the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia. Despite the cold and rainy weather, a large group of attorneys and judges turned out to hear Judge Jackson speak about the important responsibilities assumed by attorneys serving as local counsel in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Honorable Raymond L. Jackson provided an informative and lively address to the Hampton Roads Chapter. Insights from the Bench – a Q&A with The Honorable Rebecca Beach Smith, Chief United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia 1. How has your life as a federal judge changed since becoming Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia? What are some of your responsibilities as Chief Judge? My life has changed on the bench because I now wear two judicial hats in the Eastern District of Virginia, one as an active United States District Judge, and one as the Chief District Judge. As the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia, I am responsible for court governance issues, case management oversight, and administrative matters, which include submission of overall plans and reports for the court to the Circuit Judicial Council, the Judicial Conference of the United States, and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Reports that are routinely due include, inter alia, certification of judges’ non-case related travel (i.e., meetings, conferences, and so forth, but not personal travel), certification of senior district judges’ workloads, review and monitoring of jury utilization statistics within the District and vis à vis other federal districts, and review and submission of District-wide budgets for the Clerk’s Office and the Probation Office. The duties of the Chief Judge also include a wide array of federal court management responsibilities and oversight for the Eastern District of Virginia, which duties range from determining and implementing administrative policies, to recommending the need for new judgeship positions, to monitoring sensitive issues of judicial performance and disability, to being the final arbiter of personnel matters in the District, to being the liaison between our court and other federal courts and agencies. These Chief Judge administrative duties and management responsibilities, together with a full docket as an active District Judge in the Norfolk Division of the court, are sometimes overwhelming, given that the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the largest federal courts in the United States, both geographically and in terms of caseload. In both roles, as Chief Judge and as an active District Judge, I am committed to the continuation of our District as being one of the top and most respected in the country, both in terms of case management and quality decision-making. 2. How would you compare the Norfolk/Newport News division to other divisions in the Eastern District of Virginia and across the country? All Divisions of the court have extremely heavy caseloads, both criminal and civil. The Norfolk/Newport News Divisions do have more admiralty cases than the other Divisions. The Alexandria Division, given its proximity to Washington, D.C., and the speed of the docket in the Eastern District of Virginia, tends to get more national security and terrorism cases. However, both the Richmond and the Norfolk/Newport News Divisions have likewise received a number of national security and terrorism cases in recent years, including the Hamdi case, the Somali pirate case, and a pending case in Richmond involving an alleged American recruiter for ISIS. All Divisions in the Eastern District of Virginia have both “traditional” federal court cases, as well as high-profile cases, including public corruption cases and bank and security fraud cases. The way that our court may differ from other federal judicial districts across the country is that our District, together with the Southern District of New York and a few of the other larger districts in urban areas, have a higher number of national security and terrorism cases.